Princess Kate Middleton, wife of British Crown Prince William, shocked the world by announcing her self-inflicted cancer in a video message on Friday.
According to the American magazine Vox, Kensington Palace did not say what type of cancer the princess has or what stage the cancer is or what her probable diagnosis is, but what we do know is that as a 42-year-old woman But she is not the only woman in this deadly disease because people under the age of 50 are suffering from cancer in large numbers around the world.
In the past, cancer usually affected people in their 50s or 60s or older, but in recent decades it has been spreading at a higher rate among younger people, especially in rich and developed countries like the UK. .
An analysis published in 2023 in the medical journal BMJ found that between 1990 and 2019, 29 different cancers increased by nearly 80 percent worldwide.
A study published in JAMA Network that same year concluded that between 2010 and 2019, a wide range of cancers among people under the age of 50 affected American adults, especially women. .
Most of the increase has been seen in colon and rectal (anal) cancers. In 2019, there were about 5.7 cases of colon cancer per 100,000 people aged 14 to 49 years. This number is 63% higher than in 1990 when about 3.5 out of every 100,000 people were diagnosed with this cancer.
Now people under the age of 50 are most likely to develop breast, ovarian and skin cancers.
But in 2020, the death of famous figures like Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman from colon cancer has made this trend even more evident in recent times.
Cancers of the bladder, kidney, ovary, pancreas, prostate, thyroid and ovaries have also become significantly more common in the past three decades, according to a worldwide study published in the medical journal BMJ.
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John Marshall, director of the gastrointestinal cancer center at Georgetown University, said recently that early in his career he rarely saw a patient younger than 50 years old. Affected people appear healthy and fit.
Initially, young patients usually presented with colon cancer, but now John Marshall has noted an increase in the number of young people with cancers that invade other parts of the stomach.
Scientists are beginning to uncover the truth behind one of the most important medical mysteries of our time after countless cases of cancer have been discovered in young people.
A 2022 review published in Frontiers in Nutrition found that several dietary factors were associated with early colorectal cancer.
A diet high in fried and processed foods, high-fat foods and sugary drinks, and low in fiber and starch is a major risk factor.
Other studies have shown that heavy alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing skin cancer.
Toxic substances such as microplastics in our environment can also be an important factor. These tiny particles are found in everything from food containers to synthetic clothing, which can easily enter our bodies and digestive systems.
A New Zealand research team has concluded that an increase in cancer among young people is linked to microplastics in the environment.
Cellular and rodent models have suggested that microplastics can promote tumor growth. Although more research is needed in this regard, these materials contain chemicals that disrupt hormones and can pose a threat to our health.
Although the mystery of Princess Kate’s disappearance from public life in the past few months has been resolved following the announcement of her cancer diagnosis, we know that such stories are becoming more and more common.